Advertising balance is a continuous conundrum for iGaming regulators on a global scale, as they weigh the impact of imposing advertising restrictions on the sector.
This is no different in France, where the government and Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) have taken a relatively laissez-faire approach compared to their European neighbours like the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
Speaking to SBC News ahead of her departure as President of the ANJ on 15 June, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin emphasised that the ability to advertise must be preserved as a key benefit of being part of the regulated sector.
She said: “That is why we maintain that we are not opposed to operators advertising, as it is a means of promoting legal offerings as opposed to illegal ones, which must be combated.”
Falque-Pierrotin also spoke of her opposition to a proposed advertising ban in France mooted shortly after she joined the ANJ in 2020. During these discussions, she said she cited the lack of success of a similar set of guidelines in Italy – which industry experts in the country have attributed to the surge of the black market.
At this moment in time, the Dutch government is also weighing a complete advertising ban, and the country’s regulator, Kansspelautoriteit, and trade body, VNLOK, have been scathing in their criticism of the proposals.
Speaking at Gaming in Holland, Björn Fuchs, Chair of VNLOK, said on the proposals: “Banning Dutch operators from advertising does not empty social media, it simply creates an additional vacuum which will be filled by aggressive illegal operators that completely ignore Dutch laws.”
Commoditisation of gambling
Despite Falque-Pierrotin’s positive sentiment, she expressed concerns over what she described as the ‘commoditisation’ of gambling through the use of influencers for advertising.
“Gambling has become a thoroughly commoditised product, relying on a well-established ecosystem of direct notifications, influencers and affiliates; all of whom are driving customer acquisition,” she explained.
“But there is more to it than that: in the minds of the public – and young people in particular – gambling has become part of everyday life, and even part of young people’s digital culture.”
France has implemented a 15% tax on marketing spend; however, this does not include sports sponsorships, due to the importance of the sector for France’s sports teams.
Given this is the case, Falque-Pierrotin cautioned that a potential increase in visibility of the gambling industry across sport as a result of the legislation could spark a negative public reaction – mirroring the UK, where Premier League clubs have now taken the step of implementing a voluntary ban on gambling front-of-shirt sponsors.
